ASTM D8272-19 PDF

Full title and description

Standard Guide for Development and Optimization of D19 Chemical Analysis Methods Intended for EPA Compliance Reporting — ASTM D8272-19. This guide provides recommended procedures, statistical methods, and practical considerations for developing and optimizing chemical analysis methods produced under ASTM Committee D19 (Water) that are intended for regulatory compliance reporting to U.S. EPA drinking water and wastewater programs. It is intended to assist task groups and laboratories in preparing methods suitable for single-laboratory characterization and for later interlaboratory (collaborative) studies required for precision and bias statements.

Abstract

ASTM D8272-19 is a concise guide (approximately 12 pages) describing a staged approach to method development: initial single-laboratory optimization and characterization, followed by preparation for interlaboratory studies to establish precision and bias. The guide emphasizes planning (sample matrices, concentration ranges, holding times, interferences), statistical tools for characterization and collaborative testing, and alignment with Committee D19 practices (for example D2777) and EPA reporting needs. It is intended as an advisory resource rather than a prescriptive test method.

General information

• Status: Active.
• Publication date: Published 2019 (designation D8272-19; released December 1, 2019).
• Publisher: ASTM International.
• ICS / categories: 13.060.50 (Examination of water for chemical substances).
• Edition / version: D8272-19 (2019).
• Number of pages: 12 pages.

Scope

This guide identifies procedures and options for developing and optimizing new or modified chemical analysis methods prepared under Subcommittees D19.05 and D19.06, with the explicit intent that the resulting methods be suitable for EPA regulatory compliance reporting (drinking water and wastewater). It addresses single-laboratory characterization/optimization, selection of appropriate statistical approaches for method performance assessment, and preparation steps required before conducting collaborative (interlaboratory) studies and drafting precision and bias statements. The guide is advisory and does not replace laboratory validation or regulatory requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Framework for method development: planning, reagent and calibration considerations, concentration/quantitation ranges, and sample handling.
• Single-laboratory characterization and optimization procedures to demonstrate method suitability prior to collaborative testing.
• Statistical tools and approaches for assessing precision, bias, limit of detection, quantitation ranges, and uncertainty (references to Practice D2777 and E691 concepts).
• Requirements and recommendations for preparing an interlaboratory (collaborative) study to support repeatability/reproducibility claims and to generate required precision/bias statements.
• Quality control, method documentation, and items to address for EPA compliance reporting (sample preservation, holding times, interference evaluation).
• Guidance on when the guide applies to emerging contaminants and methods that do not yet have regulatory specifications.

Typical use and users

Primary users are ASTM D19 task groups and method authors, environmental and drinking-water analytical laboratories, method validation teams, regulatory scientists preparing methods for EPA compliance reporting, and contract laboratories developing new or revised chemical analysis procedures. The guide is also useful to laboratory managers and quality personnel who must document method development and the preparatory work before conducting collaborative studies.

Related standards

ASTM D8272-19 references and is used alongside other standards and practices relevant to method development and interlaboratory testing, including Practice D2777 (precision and bias estimation), Practice E691 (interlaboratory study design), Guide E2857 (method validation procedures for laboratories), Practice D4841 (holding time estimation), and earlier related ASTM guidance such as D8271. Users commonly consult Committee D19 practices when applying this guide.

Keywords

method development, method optimization, D19, water analysis, EPA compliance, collaborative study, interlaboratory study, precision and bias, validation, analytical quality control, drinking water, wastewater.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM D8272-19 is a guide focused on the development and optimization of chemical analysis methods produced by ASTM Committee D19 (Water) with the intent that those methods be suitable for EPA compliance reporting. It provides procedural options and statistical guidance for the method development pathway from single-laboratory work to interlaboratory studies.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers planning and optimization steps for new or modified analytical methods (sample handling, calibration, reagent preparation), single-laboratory characterization, recommended statistical approaches, and preparatory actions for collaborative studies that will support precision and bias statements required in D19 test methods. The guide is advisory and not a prescriptive test method.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: ASTM D19 task groups and method developers, environmental testing laboratories, regulatory method authors, and quality assurance personnel preparing methods for EPA drinking water and wastewater compliance reporting commonly use this guide.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Designated D8272-19 (published in 2019) and currently listed as active. Users should check ASTM or their standards subscription for any amendments or later revisions beyond the 2019 designation.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of ASTM Committee D19’s body of standards and guidance for water chemical analysis and is associated with related practices (D2777, D4841, etc.). It also updates or revises prior guidance in the D827x series where noted by the committee.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Environmental, EPA, D19, collaborative study, compliance, method validation, precision and bias, drinking water, wastewater, analytical method development.